Written by
The Sports Network
Worcester, MA (Sports Network) - Serena Williams recorded a Sunday singles
victory to move the United States into the Fed Cup World Group Playoffs.
The 2011 U.S. Open runner-up Williams improved to 2-0 this week by overcoming
Anastasia Yakimova 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 at DCU Center in Worcester. The victory gave
the host Americans an insurmountable 3-0 lead in their best-of-five World
Group II battle against Belarus, which was forced to play without world No. 1
star and Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, who is nursing a back
injury after beating Maria Sharapova in last week's Aussie Open finale.
The former No. 1 and 13-time Grand Slam champion Williams and Christina McHale
were a pair of singles winners here on Saturday, as McHale beat Yakimova and
Williams topped Olga Govortsova in straight sets.
This is the first-ever Fed Cup meeting between the 17-time champion U.S. and
Belarus.
Team USA advanced to the World Group playoffs where it will meet a World
Group first-round loser and needs to win in order to have a chance to compete
for the Fed Cup title next year.
The Sports Network